A Black-owned barbershop and beauty salon in Biloxi, Mississippi, has a new historic marker outside its doors.
Tyrone’s Barber & Beauty Salon has stood in the southern city since the early 1960s. It initially opened as a way to serve Black servicemen at the nearby Keesler Air Force Base. Now, residents and travelers to Biloxi will understand its significance on Main Street with the historic marker. The couple unveiled the marker on social media Aug. 16.
The shop’s owner, Tyrone Burton, began cutting hair as a teenager. He worked with scissors and clippers in hand to help Black men in the community stay groomed. The salon became a staple in East Biloxi’s historic Black business district. This new marker will now forever celebrate the shop’s history and legacy in the town.
“It’s a beauty to live to see it because so many times, so many things happened,” shared Burton to WLOX.
The barber shop remains open to this day, with long-time residents still coming in for a fresh haircut. Burton still cuts hair, with the community knowing him and his shop as a space for change and togetherness.
“I have lived carrying the torch and still carrying the torch, and I’ve enjoyed the walk with the people,” he added.
The barber shop has held many roles across its decades-long existence. During the Civil Rights Movement, it became a safe haven and a crucial meeting ground for community activists. The salon once helped Black people with voter registration and later navigated changes from desegregation to Hurricane Katrina.
“Black and white couldn’t leave the base in the same cab, and I was seeing those changes,” recalled Burton.
Amid the natural disaster, which severely damaged the city, Burton and his wife, Vera, opted to stay and rebuild, continuing to serve their community as a hair-cutting duo that catered to all people’s haircare needs.
“I’m very proud of him,” shared Vera. “So proud of him. He deserves every bit of it. His legacy will just continue on.”
The recognition of the barber shop’s place in Biloxi extended even further. In May, a part of Main Street outside the shop was renamed to “Tyrone Burton Way.” Tyrone’s importance to the people of Biloxi remains felt, with hair appointments feeling more like a family reunion.
“You can go into a business and just be a customer, but when you can go into it and feel fellowship as a family? That’s what you feel here when you come to Tyrone,” explained a patron and friend, Bob Gibson. It’s awesome that the city would take time and recognize the work and the impact that he’s had on his community.”
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